In Memoriam*
Ronald Reagan, 1911-2004
*The following was written on the occasion of
President Reagan's 90th Birthday. Like the remainder of our fellow
Americans and millions of others around the world, this June 5, 2004, we
mourn his death at 93. He lived for 10 years with Alzheimer's disease.
Dubbed the "Great Communicator," he not only conveyed courage
and humility in his public life, he did so in his private life, too --
through his letters to family and friends and through the statements made
by his wife, Nancy, during their ordeal of coping with his illness.
This disease afflicts far too many people worldwide,
robbing them of their personhood, robbing their families of the present
and future with their loved ones, and robbing -- in the case of President
Reagan -- our nation of his wisdom during this past tumultuous
decade.
The Huffington Center on aging extends our
condolences to Mrs. Reagan and their children and closest friends. We also
commend Mrs. Reagan for what she did as the caregiver of the former
president. Millions of others do so daily. We hope for research that will
offer all people coping with AD hope for a treatment for this
"thief" that leaves behind persons whom we know and love, who,
in the late stages, do not know us or themselves.
Happy 90th Birthday Mr. President!
Mr. President, on this Friday the 6th of
February 2001, the faculty and staff of the Huffington Center on Aging send you our best
wishes for a happy birthday. We also are pleased that the Congress of the United States
saw fit to honor you by renaming the airport in the capital of the greatest
country in the world the "Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport".
When Ronald Reagan was born on February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois
above the store where his father sold shoes, little did he know that someday he would
graduate from nearby Eureka College where he was known as "Dutch" Reagan, the
sports star and drama student; that his radio job as a sports announcer would lead to a
screen test and a contract with Warner Brothers where he made over 50 films; that he
possessed the leadership abilities and ambition to become Governor of California in 1966
and that just 14 years later the Democrat-turned-Republican would be swept by a
conservative political tide to an electoral victory making him the 40th president of the
United States of America.
He didn't stop there: this oldest of our presidents at the time survived
an assassination attempt in March 1981, won a landslide reelection victory in 1984,
underwent surgery for colon cancer in 1985, and won the "saber rattling" with
Soviet President Gorbachev that led to significant reductions in both combatants' missiles
and ultimately the destruction of the Soviet Union. Dutch you are tough!
Sadly though, while the future movie star and president was achieving
distinction in the arts and in politics, little did he know that he would join those
4,000,000 fellow Americans afflicted with Alzheimer's disease (AD), the slowly
degenerative brain disease marked by changes in behavior and personality that is the most
common cause of dementia among older people. And his poignant letter to the American
people last year telling them that he was suffering from AD was another of his courageous
acts by the man who stood down the "Evil Empire."
This letter, perhaps his last great service to the country he loves,
highlighted the need for more research on a cure for this terrible disease that causes
such misery to patients and their families and that puts such a heavy economic burden on
our society--$47,000 per person per year for a condition that ranges in duration from 2 to
20 years. A telling effect of the former president's letter was when Dr. Robert Luchi
(then, HCOA director) informed one of his patients that he had Alzheimer's disease; after
pausing for a moment, the patient said, "heck, but Dutch and I'll get through this
together." For persons wanting to learn more about AD, click here,
for a link to the National Institute on Aging's homepage on this disease.
Mr. President, The Huffington Center on Aging wishes you a Happy
Birthday as you join the 1,635,000 Americans who are 90+ years of age. So just like the
memorable line from one of your great movies, we are going to try to "win one for the
Gipper!"
